Ticks and Lyme disease
Lyme disease is a debilitating condition contracted as a result of tick bites. Ticks are now common all over Ireland and, hikers and walkers are particularly at risk of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose and, when diagnosed, it may be difficult to treat.
Some precautions that may be taken to avoid ticks include:
Not leaving parts of your body exposed by, for example, putting your trouser legs inside your socks and wearing long sleeved shirts;
Wearing light coloured clothing;
After a hike checking your body for ticks and removing any found – there are several devices on the market for removing ticks.
Further information on the topic can be found on many Internet sites including:
https://www.mountaineering.ie/_files/ProtectingyourselfagainstTickBitesandLymeDisease.pdf
https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/lyme-disease/
https://www.ticktalkireland.org/
These sites also have links to other sites containing information on Lyme disease.